Motherwell stormed back after losing an early goal to snatch a dramatic late equaliser to ease their bid to beat the drop.

Kilmarnock, in a shaky first half, opened the scoring against the run of play when Gary Holt converted a Paul Wright pass in 28 minutes.

The first half was fairly evenly balanced but after the break Motherwell stepped up a gear to pound the Killie defence and eventually earned their reward 10 minutes from time when Stefan Lindqvist fired in an Owen Coyle corner.

Killie almost snatched a last-minute winner when substitute Jerome Vareille sent a Wright pass crashing against keeper Stevie Woods.

Neither set of players mastered the difficult conditions and passes too often went astray. In fact, the only shot on target in the first half was Holt's goal!

Wright, Killie's top scorer, earned them three good chances in the first half but failed to cash in.

And as Motherwell dictated the play after the break, Wright carried the Killie threat almost single-handed with two shots that went narrowly past and a third which forced a good save from Woods.

Holt, backed by Mark Reilly, was the mainstay in the Killie side, providing ammunition and back-up for the striker.

Motherwell's contribution in the first half lay with an Eric Garcin free-kick that went inches over and a Tommy Coyne effort that forced a good save from Gordon Marshall.

In the second half it was almost one-way traffic with Coyne a lively leader backed up by the industrious Simo Valakari in midfield and the constant overlapping Steve McMillan.

When they threw everything into attack after the equaliser, Brian Martin and Greg Denham both had headers which rattled the bar.

Teams

Motherwell: Woods, Christie, McMillan, Denham, Martin, Ross (McCulloch 52), Valakari, Lindqvist, Coyne, Garcin (Shivute 59), Coyle.

Subs Not Used: Philliben.

Goals: Lindqvist 80.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, Kerr, Lauchlan (McGowne 52), Montgomerie, Reilly, Mitchell, Holt, Wright, Henry (Nevin 76), Roberts (Vareille 86).

Goals: Holt 28.

Att: 6,209

Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).